Car-seal.



No. 632,593. Patented Spt. 5, I899. 11. H. P. s. SPENCER.

.CAB SEAL.

(Application filed May 19, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER H. P. G. SPENCER, OF MOUNT CARMEL, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO EDWARD HUGHES ZIGLERAND WILLIAM MORRISON QUINN,

OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-S EAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,593, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filecl May 19, 1899. Serial No. 717,461. (No model.)

To all whom rt may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. P. G. SPEN- OER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Carmel, in the county of Wabash and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the seals for the doors of freight'cars; and its object is to provide an improved construction of the same which shall be simple and economical to manufacture and which cannot be'tampered with without detection.

It is also an object to provide such a construction that it is not necessary to use the ordinary sealing-irons now usually employed, not only effecting a saving in time and labor, and consequently expense, but whereby also the initials or numbers will not be liable to be marred or injured by the sealing-tool, which is now frequently the case.

The invention consists in the novel con struction hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan View of a blank from which the seal is made. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the next step in the process of manufacturing the seal, showing one end of the strip bent to form a receiver with the edges overlapping and the strip near the other end crimped to form a catch. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the device ready for use. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the device locked or as it appears when in use.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates a sheet-metal strip formed at one end with outwardly-extending lateral portions 2, provided at each end with lugs 3. The

lugs at one side of the strip are somewhat wider than those at the opposite side, so thatend the strip is crimped,formin g double bends a, which serve as catches. In practice the lat= eral portions of the strip are bent over upon each other, with the lugs overlapping and the wide lugs having their edges bent over the edges of the narrow lugs. The said lugs are then bent inwardly and inclined at an angle to the strip. There is thus formed a receiver which the crimps or catches 4 engage with.

To use the device,the strip is passed through the staple of a car, with which the hasp of the door engages, and the end is then inserted in the receiver, when the crimps or catches engaging the inwardly-bent and inclined lugs it will be impossible to disengage said catches without detection.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is As an improved article, a car-seal consisting of a single strip of metal, provided with opposite integral portions at one end formed with lateral lugs at the extremities and said portions bent over at right angles to said strip and the extremities bent inwardly at right angles with lugs overlapping each other and bent inwardly at an angle and said strip near the other end formed with a double bond adapted to engage with said lugs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER H. P. G. SPENCER.

Witnesses:

E. B. GREEN, 0. E. MITCHELL. 

